I had a feeling this was coming my way. Iain Dale started a "where were you when?" game of tag, he tagged Tom Harris, he tagged STB, and here we are.Princess Diana's death - 31 August 1997
I was working in St Andrews, and my boss rang me up and told me to come over with the papers. We had croissants and coffee and watched rolling news. I felt then as I feel now: it's sad when any parent of young children dies, but no more for Diana than anyone else. The Private Eye cover abides, though (click for larger image).
Margaret Thatcher's resignation - 22 November 1990
I was at home and my mother rang up to tell me we needed to organise a street party.
Attack on the twin towers - 11 September 2001
I was self-employed, and my pal Hamish came round. It looked like the gates of hell had opened up, and that we would see escalating response and counter-response. Now, of course, it seems clear that it was Al Qaeda's one truly ambitious "spectacular".
England's World Cup Semi Final v Germany in - 4 July 1990
This predates my interest in football, really. Subsequently I have grown to love watching England games, especially versus Portugal, Germany and Argentina.
President Kennedy's Assassination - 22 November 1963
Pass, for the same reason as STB.
Next!
Scottish Unionist (when he gets back)
Done. Memetastic
Princess Diana's death - 31 August 1997
In my bed - it happened at night. It was the reason I saw Men in Black at the cinema - the only place it was possible to escape the vicarious grief and
Margaret Thatcher's resignation - 22 November 1990
Can't remember - it was obvious she was going so the actual timing of her departure didn't concern me greatly
Attack on the twin towers - 11 September 2001
At work, standing with others watching the TV reports coming in.
England's World Cup Semi Final v Germany in - 4 July 1990
Dunno - didn't care.
President Kennedy's Assassination - 22 November 1963
On the grassy knoll ...
Princess Di's death: I woke up in my scratcher in Kilburn, Lottie came in excitedly to tell me Princess Di was in a spot of bother. Rehor Aitken and I spent the week dodging grief ghouls in London. 60 stepped over them on his way to work in the HoC camping out days in advance to "get a good view" of the funeral. Sobbed with laughter at Elton John.
Mrs T- I was in my A-Level Economics class. i was the only pupil. A fellow teacher walked in and handed a note to my tutor, Mr Colquhoun, who promptly shared its contents with me.
Twin Towers- i was in mid-Wales getting ready for my wedding (11 days later on our wedding day the Americans started bombing Afghanistan). i remember the internet pretty much grinding to a halt, with the BBC site caving in under the pressure for a while.
England v W. Germany- my 17th birthday, and I was in Crouch End in London. My brother Nigel insisted on going out for dinner so we could only tell from the long faces on the bus on the way home that England had lost.Back then loads of people didn't care about football, though; Italia 90 is commonly cited as the moment when all the Baddiel-Skinner-celebrity football thing began.
President Kennedy: i didn't exist.
Princess Diana’s death: Sunday morning, wasn’t it? At home with my wife. I can’t recall feeling anything approaching actual grief but glued myself to the TV for any unhealthy length of time nonetheless.
Margaret Thatcher’s resignation: Adam Smith building at Glasgow University, and shortly thereafter off into the QMU, despite the early hour. Student politics, eh?
Twin Towers attack: I was at work. The whole office ground to a halt, utterly horrified. A very common story.
England v Germany: Can’t recall. I wasn’t much interested in football at the time.
President Kennedy’s assassination: Covering Calum’s back. Or unborn. One or the other.
I’ll desist from nominating anyone else!
Princess Di's death: In the early hours of the Sunday morning, staggering through the west end of Glasgow on the way back from the Pool Hall next to the Scotia, the Sunday Mail delivery van pulled up to a newsagent, dumped its load and the driver exclaimed that "Lady Di was deid".
The next day Glasgow was deid, and the Old Firm game got cancelled. Had forgotten about the solemn watch of the funeral conducted in the Kilburn living room of one of the contributors above.
Thatcher's resignation - at school in central Glasgow, aware of lots of high spirits coursing through the city....why did I not go to George Square?
Twin Towers - In Czech Republic, got a delirious phone call from my old man. In the ex-pat pub that night, an American women (with good form on all things Chomskyian etc) reacted badly to me suggesting simply that what goes around comes around.
England v W. Germany - probably in a caravan in between Cupar and St Andrews, if anything aggrieved that those teutonic, cynical, badly permed scoundrels had spawned their way into the final.
President Kennedy: missed it.